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A perfect idea for book lovers all over Dublin and one that is easy to get involved in, the Bring a Book, Buy a Book event returns next week. Now is the time to sort out all of your unwanted paperbacks and donate them to raise money for a worthy cause. Once you have done that you can buy more books (donated by someone else) to fill up all of the space that you have just cleared on your bookshelves. You can of course also buy a new book especially to donate if really cannot bear to part with your books.

St Michael’s House in Ballymun, Dublin provides services for around 1,700 children and adults with an intellectual disability. The book sale initiative is only one of the ways in which people can become involved in fundraising for St Michael’s House. This year’s Bring a Book has the aim of raising money to enable the facility to fund its Early Services Programmes. This will ensure the centre’s staff has the means to deal with referrals much quicker, to avoid children having to be put on a waiting list unnecessarily.

Each year at this time, the Bring a Book, Buy a Book events raise money to assist the provision of much needed services. Last year readers exchanged a mighty 90,000 books over the course of the campaign so there will be high hopes that this year will achieve a similar figure.  It is easy to get involved in the event and you can do it through a work place, club or school. In fact, it can be anywhere that volunteer booksellers are able to set up a temporary stall. It could run for all or just a part of the week, whatever suits the venue and the helpers.

Registration is through the web site (details below) and you will receive a pack of promotional material (posters, bookmarks, bags) as well as your collection box. The idea is that fundraisers will sell each donated book for just 2 euro so it will be easy for customers to pick up a bagful of bargains while giving to a good cause. It is the sort of campaign will lend itself well to staff canteens at lunch breaks when plenty of people will be around to buy.

The web site offers a simple four-point guide to aid the organisers: Encourage donations; set up a stall in a central location; put up posters advertising stall and finally….send in the funds to St Michael’s. There is even a chance to win a prize for the busiest stall. The annual event is supported by Children’s Books Ireland, World Book Day in Ireland and the National Adult Literacy Agency. This is a great way of encouraging reading (and having fun) as well as raising money for a local charity, so do try to support it if you can.  

For further information and registration:

www.bringabookbuyabook.ie

www.facebook.com/stmichaelshouse